Features

5 reasons not to miss Kinky Boots

The show’s on tour and in the West End, so there’s never been a better reason for a knees-up

Alex Wood
London
Kinky Boots tour cast
Kinky Boots tour cast
© Helen Maybanks

5. The story is as cockle-warming as they come

A floundering factory saved by ingenuity, friendship and flamboyance? Kinky is a wholesome story with a pertinent message and a raft of relatable characters. Based on the award-nominated film penned by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth, the musical follows Charlie Price, who inherits a shoe-making business from his father and faces dire financial straits, only to be helped from an unexpected quarter. Plus it's all set in Northampton, so a nice way to shine a light on a stalwart British town.

4. Cyndi Lauper gave us the tunes

"Land of Lola", "The Soul of a Man", "Raise You Up" are all among some stellar numbers in the Kinky Boots music, penned by pop legend Cyndie Lauper (who also won a Grammy for it). You'll be humming them for weeks – not that anyone would expect less from the creator of the likes of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun".

3. It's won some of the biggest awards out there

When it comes to big awards, Kinky is a modern classic. In 2013 it was nominated for 13 Tony Awards, winning six including Best New Musical and Best Original Score. It repeated the Best New Musical win at the Oliviers (one of its three wins), while the show picked up three WhatsOnStage Awards when it first landed in the UK – awards panels are head-over-heels for it!

2. Now's the perfect time to catch it

It's in the West End at the Adelphi Theatre (where it's been since 2015), and it's also currently out on a major UK tour until November 2019. Visiting cities including Wolverhampton, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Plymouth, Kinky is coming to you!

1. But it's not going to be around forever

After three storming years in the West End, Kinky Boots sadly announced that it would hot-footing it out of the Adelphi at the start of the new year (after 1400 performances!), giving audiences a few months to catch it in London and another year or so in its UK tour (though fingers crossed for a few extensions!). But, after that's done, Kinky will leave these shores for a while!